Circuit closer for stop-mechanism of knitting machines and the like



Oct. 14, 1930. J. WACHSMAN 7,778,097

CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR STOP MECHANISM OF KNITTING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 5, 1929 INVENTOR (Ilc Ofi Waafisvzzrq ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JACOB WACHSMAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK Application filed December 5, 1929.

My invention relates to devices used for the purpose of actuating or controllin the sto mechanism proper of knitting mac ines an other similar apparatus upon the breaking or knotting of the thread It particularl relates to What is technically termed in t e trade as the top box, i. e., the control device located at the hi hest point in the path of travel of the tfiread through the machine.

Primarily the invention has for an ob'ect to provide mechanism which will act qulckl and surely so as to stop the machine before cliimage to the cloth can occur.

Further, the invention has for an object to. provide means whereby the electric circuit to the stop actuating magnet of the knitting machine will be closed by clean contacts which will not readily'corrode, thereby in- :a suring operation of the device at all times under all conditions.

Further, it is an object to improve generally the construction of the circuit closer and to enclose the working parts in a case which .25 will protect the contacts and tensioning mechanism from dust, dirt, lint, etc. which may tend to accumulate from the thread as it passes from the device.

Again, it is an'object of my present invention to provide a circuit closer of extreme sensitivity, the cost of manufacture of which is reduced to the minimum and in which the fewest number of parts possible are employed.

as Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, my invention consists in the novel features of construction and in the combination, connection and arragement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, and then pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the forked spring-held lever.

Serial No. 411,876.

fication of the invention.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic View of the .electric circuit which the device is intended to control. 7

In the drawing in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts in' all of the figures, 1 re resents a cover plate which is pro-' vided wit a suitable stop or stops 2, the purpose of which will presently appear and which has a right ang ed forwardly extended bracket part 3, apertured at 4 for the urpose of securing the device to a suitable ass or support, a hole 5 for the same purpose being provided at right angles to the hole 4 should it be desired to secure the device by horizontal instead of vertical screws.

6 is a box closed on all sides except the front, the box being provided with upperand lower sets of bearing notches 7 and 8 entering from the edge. These bearing notches are adapted to be closed by the cover plate 1 when it is in place on the box, the cover plate being secured in place on the box by suitable bolts 28 as indicated.

9 is an insulated circuitterminal mounted on the box and to which is secured a U-shaped spring wire having resilient contact arms 10 and 11 respectively, the arm 10 being longer than the arm 11 and being designed to cooperate with the gravity actuated lever while the arm 11 cooperates with the spring actuated lever. The spring actuated lever consists of a body 12 formed with bearing portions 16 and 17 and a heel 19, the heel 19 being adapted to lie within the box 6 and the bearing portions 16 and 17 adapted to lie in the bearing notches 8.-

The 'yieldingly held lever (spring actuated lever) also has a stop portion 18 to cooperate with the stop 2, whereby the lever is held in the position indicated in full lines in Figure 3 by means of the tension of the spring 30 that is connected to it and to a plate 31 of similar cross section to that of I the box and mounted on an adjusting screw 32 whose head is located outside of the box and may be adjusted to increase or diminish the tension of the spring 30.

The spring held lever is also provided with any desired number of furcations l3 sheathed with porcelain or other smooth vitreous material 14 so as to prevent catching or dragging of the lint from the thread and its consequent accumulation atthe circuit closer.

In the preferred embodiment of the inventionthe furcated portion of the spring actuated lever is located to one side of the box,-

' whereas in the embodiment of the invention illustrated inFigure 6 it is located directly in front of the box.

The gravity actuated lever consists of a wire bent to provide a loop 26 at each side v of which there are bearing portions 2525 to lie in the notches 7. Extended from one of the bearing portions 25 is a balancing arm 27 and from the other bearing portion 25, in

.the preferred embodiment, the wire extends laterally as at 24 and then forwardly as at 20 toa point beyond or in front of the furca: tions 13 where it is looped as at 22, the loop being bent downwardly and then bent back upon itself at 21 with the end downwardly projecting and forwardly as a hook 23, the

portions 20 and 21 being separated sufiiciently to pass between adjacent furcations 13 of the forked portion of the spring held lever.

In the preferred embodiment the parts 20 to 24 inclusive lie to one side of the box. In the normal position of the parts when a thread 29 is in place the parts 20 and 21 of the gravity actuated lever overlie the thread while the furcations underlie the thread, the thread tending to hold the gravity actuated lever against dropping down from the full line position shown in Figure 3 to the dotted line position shown in that figure, When, however,'the thread breaks and either the end passes the lever or if the thread is an exceedingly light fine thread, the ravity actuated lever will drop to the dotted line position indicated and in doing so causes its loop or'heel portion 26 to engage the contact arm 7 10 and close the electric circuit to the stop magnet 33 of the stop mechanism of the machine, the stop magnet 33 operating the stop lever 34- and being energized by a suitable source of energy 35.

If a knot should form in the thread it will not pass the levers but will cause the levers to be pulled. down as shown in dot and dash lines in Figure 3, which causes the circuit to be instantly closed between the heel 19 and the contact spring arm 11 before the resisting tension on the thread becomes sufficient to break it or .cause damage to the cloth. The slightest pull on the thread due to knotting will cause the circuit to be closed between the parts 19 and 11. The time interval for closing the circuit between the parts 26 and 10 is greater since it is not so essential that the circuit be closed instantaneously when a break or end passes the. levers as it is to close the circuit and stop the machine when a knotis encountered.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figure 6 the parts having corresponding structure have the same reference characters plus the reference letter as in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive. In that embodiment only two furacations 13 are shown and only a single wire 20 with downwardly extending ends 22 is employed.

Furthermore the portion 24? is extended back parallel to the bearing portion 25 so that the portion 2O may lie directly in front of the cover 1 and between the furcations 13 sentially the same as that of the preceding embodiment and further description is thought to be unnecessary.

The operation of this embodiment is es- It will be seen that with my construction 7 there are very few parts and the device is ex- 'tremely light and sure in its operation, and

circuit terminal mounted onth'e box, a doule arm contact spring secured to said terminal within the box, having bearing portions, the open edge of sa1d box-having bearing notchesv for said bearing portions, said lever having a heel adapted to cooperate with one of said spring,

contact arms within said box, a gravity actuated lever having bearing portions, said box having notched bearing portions for the bears ing portions of said gravity actuated lever, a cover plate secured to said box for closing its front and retaining said levers in said beara yieldingly held lever ing notches, saidgravity lever having a portion within the box cooperating with the other contact spring arm, each of said levers havmg portions located outside of the box cooperatmg with one another and with athread for the purposes specified.

In a stop mechanism of the character described, a circuit closer comprising a box having its front open, an insulated electric circuit terminal mounted on the box, a double arm contact spring secured to said terminal within the box, a yieldingly held lever having bearing portions, the open edge of said box. having bearing notches for said bearing portions, said lever having a heel adapted to cooperate with one of said spring box, a gravity actucontact arms within said ated lever having bearing portions, said box i having notched bearing portions for the bearing portions of said gravity actuated lever, a cover plate secured to said box for closing its front and retaining said levers in said bearing notches, said gravity lever having a portion within the box cooperating with the other contact spring arm, each of said levers having portions located outside of the box cooperating with one another and with a thread, said cover plate having a stop, and a spring in the box to hold said yieldingly held lever against said stop, and means operative from outside of the box for adjusting the tension of said last named spring.

3. In a stop mechanism of the character described, a circuit cioser comprising a box having its front open, an insulated electric circuit terminal mounted on the box, a double arm contact spring secured to said terminal within the box, a yieldingly held lever havin bearing portions, the open edge of said ox having bearing notches for said bearing portions, said lever having a heel -adapted to cooperate with one of said spring contact arms within said box, a gravity actuated lever having bearing portions, said box having notched bearing portions for the bearing portions of said gravity actuated lever, a cover plate secured to said box for closing its front and retaining said levers in said bearing notches, said gravity lever having a portion within the box cooperating with the other contact spring arm, said yieldingly held lever having a fork-like ortion located outside of the box between t e furcations of which said gravity actuated lever may pass for the purpose described.

4. In a stop mechanism of the character described, a circuit closer comprising a box having its front open, an insulated electric circuit terminal mounted on the box, a double arm contact spring secured to said terminal within the box, a yieldingly held lever having bearing portions, the open edge of said box having bearing notches for saidbearing portions, said lever having a heel adapted to cooperate with one of said spring contact arms within said box, a gravity actuated lever having bearing portions, said box having notched bearing portions for the bearing portions of said gravity actuated lever, a cover plate secured to said box for closing its front and retaining said levers in said bearing notches, said gravity lever having a portion within the box cooperating with the other contact spring arm, said yieldingly held lever having a fork-like portion located outside of the box between the furcations of which said gravity actuated lever may pass, said gravity actuated lever having its outer extremity downwardly bent and extended beyond the end of said fork-like portion.

5. In a stop mechanism of the character said box having bearing notches for said bearing portions, said lever having a heel adapted to cooperate with one of said spring contact arms within said box, a gravity actuated lever having bearing portions, said box having notched bearin portions for the bearing portions of said gravity actuated lever, a cover plate secured to said box for closing its front and retaining said levers in said bearin notches said gravity lever having a portion within the box cooperatin with the other contact sprin arm, said yieldingly held lever having a or -like portion located outside of the box between the furcations of which said gravity actuated lever may pass, said fork-like portion comprising a plurality of furcations, said gravity actuated lever having its outer portion extended beyond the ends of said fork-like portion and bent back upon itself to provide two parts to pass between the furcations of said fork-like portion.

6. In a sto mechanism oithe character described, a circuit closer comprising a box having its front open, an insulated electric circuit terminal mounted on the box, a double arm contact spring secured to said terminal within the box, a yieldingly held lever having bearing portions, the open edge of said box having bearing notches for sald bearing portions, said lever having a heel adapted to cooperate with one of said spring contact arms within said box, a gravity actuated lever having bearingpo'rtions, said box having notched bearing portions for the bearing portions of said gravity actuated -lever, a cover plate secured to said box for closing its front and retaining said levers in said bearing notches, said gravity lever having a portion within the ox cooperating with the other contact spring arm, said yieldingly held lever having a fork-like portion located outside of the box between the furcations of which said gravity actuated lever may pass, said fork-like portior comprising a plurality of furcations, said gravity actuated lever having its outer portion extended beyond the ends of said fork-like portion and bent back upon itself to provide two parts to pass between the furcations of said fork-like portion, the forward extremity of said gravity actuated lever being bent downwardly and the rear end of said bent back portion being extended downwardly as a hook for the purpose described.

7. In a stop mechanism of the character described, a circuit closer comprising a box having its front open, an insulated electric circuit terminal mounted on the box, a double arm contact spring secured to said terminal within the box, a yieldingly held lever having bearing portions, the open edge of said box having bearingnotches for said 5 bearing portions, said lever havin a heel adapted to cooperate with one of said spring contact arms wlthin said box, a gravity actuated lever having bearing portions, said box having notched, bearing portions for the bearing portions of said gravity actuated lever, a cover plate secured to said box for closing its front and retaining said levers in said bearing notches, said gravity lever having a portion within the box cooperatin with the other contact sprin arm, said yiel ingly held lever having a fora-like portion located outside of the box between the furcations of which said avity actuated lever ma pass, said cover pite having means by which the device may be mounted on a suitable carrier or support.

8. In a stop mechanism of the character described, a circuit closer comprising a box having its front open, an insulated electric circuit terminal mounted on the box, a double arm contact spring secured to said terminal within the box, a yieldingly held lever having bearing portions, the open edge of said box having bearing notches for said bearing ortions', said lever having aheel adapted to cooperate with one of said spring-contact arms within said box, a gravity actuated lever having bearing portions, said box having notched bearing portions for the bearing portions of said gravity actuated lever, a

cover plate secured to said box for closing its front and retainingsaid levers in said J bearing notches, said gravity lever having a portion within the box cooperating with 4 i p 40 the other contact sprin arm, said yieldingly I held lever having a for -like portion located outside of the box between the furcations of which said gravity actuated lever maypass,

said furcations being sheathed with smooth vitreous envelopes.

JACOB, WACHSMAN. 

